Scoop for tractors



Nov. 10, 1953 WALLER 2,658,634

SCOOP FOR TRACTORS Filed Feb. 12, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 10, 1953Filed Feb. 12, 1948 R. D. WALLER 2,658,634

SCOOP FOR TRACTORS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 10, 1953 landRoad Masooorron TRACTOR-S "comb, Ill., assignor to. inery'C o.,'"Minneapolis,'Minn,

This invention relates toscoops and more particularly'toscoops for-useon relatively small tractors such as farm tractors.

There --is, more particularly disclpsed and j claimed in the patent to*Ender, No. 2350327, "arscoop for use on'farmtractorsfwhioh-is-extremelysatisfactory for most types of digging and material handling"operations. This scoop, 'however,-is'- or the drag type and-is-notadapted to-H diggingcl'ose to walls or--to removing materials from apile.

'- Ordinarily in performing such operations it "is highly desirable thatthe scoop should face outward from the-tractor either at the forward--or the rear end'thereot *Tomburit'a scoop at the forward end ofan-ordinary farm' tractor re- "quires a*specia1 framework which isrelatively complicated and elipensive and which further eliminates theincreased traction whichis ac-M quired when the "load is maintainedatthe rear of the tractor.

The present invention provides -a scoop-mounted at the rear'of-a'tra'ctor and facing lr'earward therefrom" forclose digging 'andfor removal "of material fr'o'rn'piles.

It'is one of "the objects of theinvention to provide a scoop whichcan-be -accurately"{con- "trolled for digging at-difierent levels-"arid'which can operatein'=an-upwardly-tilted positionfor removingmaterial from'a pile.

Another object-is to provide-ascoop inwliich excessive downward tiltingis" prevented "so' that the scoop *cannctbite into "the ground exces-'sively hut which can tilt upward-rm scooping material from the side ofa pile.

Stillariother object is to provide ascoop' which "canbe operatedrearwardly' at-therear' ndof a tractor, which can be elevated to carrmaterial, andwhich can bedcmpedav any desired level.

'A specificobjector the invention isito provide afs'coop i havingaFpivoted lever 'at the 'top' of its 'frarne for connection to a tractortop'link'to form a"'connection"'which will "collapse in" compression butwhich is inextensible in teiision. I

"The aboi'reandotlir o Jec'ts andadvantages tractor illustrating a scoopeiribodying the inven- Wm q t h s nz v A v,

lFi'g'ureZ isfja side; elevation showing the scoop n eise r' in i ena lit Figure 3' is a'side elevation illustrating a slight- 2 'ly"hiea'ifidsdcp construction in dig ing fiosi- -tion;

Figure 4 is "a partial" enlarged 'section on T the line 4-4 of Figure 3;and p J Figured isa perspective view of the top lever of Figure 3.

The scoop orthepresem ifivention iriaywe used with an'y'dsiredconveii'tionaltype of tractor which is partially iiiiistratdiin 'F'i'i'ie' 1" asineluding 'iarar axle housing "[0 on which rear tractionwheels II are-mounted. V niawtar links l2a're pivoted at thelowerpart-of the raf-akle housing, as shown, and are adaptd to beelevated by means of an elevating linkage l3. 4 At the upper part of thehousing there is pivoted a tractor top link M which is shown as a doublelink and which may be adjustable in length. For this purpose the toplink is formed of two sections l4 and Ma overlapping and-securedtogether by-means o f-"abolt I41 fitting; through slots in the linksection so that theeffective link length can be-adiusted,-as-desired. Ihe top :link is connected at one end-to;a c0r itr01* lever I5 on therear axle housing which inthe usua1 tractor functions automatically tocontrol elevation'of thedrawbar -1inks'l2. Since this'control mechanismforms no part of -thepresent-inven- "tion; it will not be furtherdescribedherein.

-While substantiallyany -=desired type of scoop unit may beemployed,-theinvention-is illustrated in connection-with a scoopframe-and shell construction of the type 'described 'and claimed in*Ender Patent No. 2,350,327 'referredto'above. -As

shown, this scoop unit includes a frame having a U shaped lower portionl6 having secured-at its open end an upwardly extending yoke l1 whosecenter point is connected'bya curved bar'l8 to the centralportion-of thelower frame. Within the frame-so formedthere is pivotally mounted a'scoopshell l9'with its'closedrear endlying ;-adjacent the closed endofgthe frame lfi and w-ith -its' open digging end projectingbeyond-the-frame and-terminating-in acutting edge. The scoop g shell maybe pivoted on pivots 2| and is normally 25- mounted on the frame 16. Torelease the latch the arm 22 maybe swung toward theopen end of* thescoop to 'IIIOVG iiihG latch finger 24-away from the latch member 25.

According to the present invention the scoop may be mounted at the rearend of the tractor facing outward therefrom. For this purpose the frameI6 is formed at its rear end with pivot mounting connections 26 forpivotal attachment to the rear ends of the drawbar links H. The upper ortop link M of the tractor is extended to substantially its maximumlength and is adapted to be so connected to the upper part of the framethat it will be inextensible in tension but will shorten undercompression so that the scoop may be controlled for level digging atdifferent elevations or may be tilted upward for scooping material fromthe side of a pile.

In the construction shown in Figures 1 and 2 the top link M carries atits free end a pivot rod 21 which extends through an elongated slot 28in the free end of a link 29. The other end of the link is pivoted tothe top part of the frame adjacent the forward portion thereof. Asshown, the link 29 has a pair of spaced arms which normally tend tostraddle the frame top bar 18.

For releasing the latch to permit dumping of the scoop shell a bracket3| is secured to the forward frame portion H and carries a pulley 32. Aflexible cord 33 may extend from a position adjacent the operators seaton the tractor over the pulley 32 and may be secured to the upper end ofthe latch operating lever 22. When the cord is pulled, the latchoperating lever Will be swung forward to release the latch and to urgethe scoop shell to tilt forward to dump material carried thereby.

The parts are shown in Figure l with the scoop lowered and tilted upwardslightly about its cutting edge or clockwise as seen in Figures 1 and 2in the position it might occupy in scooping material from the lower partof a pile. When the scoop is lowered to this position the forward edgethereof will first strike the pile and will tend to rock the scoopdownward about its cutting edge or counterclockwise. This operation ispermitted due to the lost motion connection between the tractor top linkM and the link 29. If the tractor is then backed toward the pile, thescoop will move up the side of the pile in a downward orcounterclockwise tilted position to scoop or dig material therefrom. Itwill be noted that at this time a horizontal line of force passingthrough the cutting edge of the scoop shell passes above the pivot 26 sothat the scoop tends to tilt downward about its cutting edge orcounterclockwise to the extent permitted by the lost motion connectionbetween the links M and 29 and until further tilting is limited by theengagement of the scoop bottom with the pile. If greater tilting isdesired than that permitted by the lost motion connection, link 29 canbe swung upward so that the top link and link 29 will buckle upward topermit substantially unlimited tilting of the scoop. When the scoop isfilled it may be raised by elevating the drawbar links I2. When this isdone the scoop will tilt to a substantially level position, as shown inFigure 2, in which it will be held by the top link it and link 29 whichare then placed in tension. In this position of the parts the scoop maybe transferred to any desired point and may be dumped.

In normal level digging the parts will occupy substantially the positionshown in Figure 2 except that the scoop will be at a lower level. Inthis operation the digging resistance on the cutting edge of the scoopcreates a horizontal line of force passing below the pivot 26 and tendsto tilt the scoop upward about its cutting edge or clockwise as shown tothe extent permitted by the top link and the link 29. At this time thelink 29 is in tension and tends to swing downward but its downwardswinging is limited by engagement of the pivot pin 21 with the frame topbar [8 so that it is held in proper digging position.

Figures 3 to 5 illustrate a slight modification of the construction ofFigures 1 and 2, parts therein which are identical to like parts in Fiures 1 and 2 being indicated by the same reference numerals. In thisconstruction all of the parts are identical with those of Figures 1 and2 except the link 29. In Figures 3 to 5 this link is formed as anintegral forging or casting having its forward end curved downwardly andformed with a pivot mounting 34 for pivotal connection to the tractorframe. The rear end of the link is forked, as shown at 35, for straightpivotal connection to the tractor top link l4 and the link is formedintermediate its ends with a vertical slot 36. A stop member as bestshown in Figure 4 is adapted to fit in the slot 36 and comprises athreaded shank portion 3? to extend through the slot and to receive anut 38 at its upper end. The lower end of the shank terminates in anenlarged head 39 which will engage the link at the sides of the slot andwhich carries a crossbar 4| to engage the scoop frame l8. By adjustingthe stop member along the slot 36 it is possible to adjust the maximumdownward position of the link thereby to adjust the digging angle of thescoop.

As shown in Figure 3 the parts are in the normal digging position inwhich the scoop is tilted slightly upward about its cutting edge orclockwise so that its edge will tend to bite into the ground. Thedigging operation tends to tilt the scoop clockwise as shown but itstilting is limited by the top link 14 and the link so that it is held inproper digging position. It will be noted that at this time the stop bar4| is held in engagement with the frame top piece it to limit downwardswinging of the lever and that adjustment of the position of the leverthrough adjusting the stop will change the digging angle of the scoop.

At the end of a digging operation when the scoop is elevated it willpivot about its connections to the drawbar levers I2 and about thepivotal connection between the top link [4 and the link. Due to thedifference in lengths of the drawbar and top link, the scoop will tiltbackwards slightly to carry the material more eniciently to the point ofdumping.

For digging from a pile or the like the scoop may be lowered as inFigure 1 so that the top link and lever are subjected to compression. Atthis time the top link and link 35 will buckle upwards to shorten theireffective length between the points of connection to the tractor and thescoop frame so that the scoop can tilt downward about its cutting edgeor counterclockwise as shown. The scoop can thus be utilized in thisposition to scoop material from the side of a pile or the like in thesame manner as previously described in connection with Figures 1 and 2.

While two embodiments of the invention have been shown and described indetail herein, it will be understood that they are illustrative only andare not to be taken as a definition of the scope of the invention,reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A scoop adapted to be mounted on a tractor comprising a scoop unitincluding a vertically extended frame and a scoop shell carried by thelower part of the frame and terminating at one end in a cutting edge,vertically spaced connections on the frame above the level of thecutting edge when the frame and scoop shell are in a normal leveldigging position, the lower connection formed for pivotal connection toa tractor drawbar with the cutting edge facing outward from the tractor,a link pivoted on the upper connection and lying above the frame forvertical swinging movement and formed at its free end for pivotalconnection to a tractor top link, and a part on said link engageablewith the frame to limit downward swinging of the link toward the frameto a position in which a horizontal line of force" passing through thecutting edge will pass below the lower connection to the scoop frame sothat the scoop shell and frame tend to tilt upward about the cuttingedge, the link being free to swing upward when it is placed incompression effectively to shorten the top connection to the tractor sothat the scoop shell and frame can swing downward about the cutting edgeto a position in which a horizontal line of force passing through thecutting edge will pass above the lower connection to the frame.

2. The construction of claim 1 in which the scoop shell is pivoted tothe frame, and including a releasable latch normally to hold the scoopshell against tilting on the frame and releasable 6 to permit tilting ofthe scoop shell to a dumping position.

3. The construction of claim 1 in which the link is formed adjacent toits free end with an elongated slot to provide a lost motion connectionwith the tractor top link.

4. The construction of claim 1 in which said part is adjustable on thelink to vary the limit of downward swinging of the link toward theframe.

RALPH D. WALLER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

